Holden Torana
14 years: 1967 – 1980
Flying High
It is widely reported that the name “Torana” is an Aboriginal word meaning ‘to fly’. This was a break in naming convention as Holden had typically not given their cars badged names and instead relied on a two-letter code to describe that model (ie: HD, HR, EK, FJ, etc).
Pursuit Special
The high-performance six-cylinder Torana GTR XU-1s weren’t just a hit on the racetrack and rally scene; they were also used by various state Highway Patrol departments as high-speed pursuit cars. Along with their high-speed capabilities their smaller size and nimbler handling compared to the brutish 351ci Falcons made them police favourites.
Supercar Scare
A prototype 5.0-litre V8-powered XU-1 Torana (thought to be called XU-2) was killed off in the infamous ‘Supercar Scare’ of 1972, where a front page newspaper article sensationally proclaimed Holden, Ford and Chrysler were building 160mph (257km/h) “supercars for the street”. This led Ford to cancel the Phase IV GT-HO and Chrysler to radically de-tune the E55 R/T Charger, while Holden quietly scrapped plans for the XU-2.
HB Torana – From humble beginnings
- Years manufactured : 1967 to 1969
Holden’s Torana story begins in 1967 with a mildly repurposed HB-series Vauxhall Viva. Offered as a two-door sedan with locally updated grille, tail panel, and dashboard it was powered by a thundering 56hp 1.2-litre four-cylinder with a four-speed manual the only transmission option.
Five months after the new GM-H compact car hit the showrooms a high-performance model named after Australia’s three-time Formua One World Champion and reigning Australian of the Year, Sir Jack Brabham, was launched. Boasting wider wheels, sports styling and a heady 79hp twin-carburettor-fed engine the first performance Torana wasn’t quite the tar-burner which would follow in later series.
A Series 2 update came in ’68, which included the options of a four-door body and automatic transmissions. GM-H sold more than 36,500 HB Toranas over its model run, but bigger things were around the corner.
LC Torana – Aussies make their mark
- Years manufactured : 1969 to 1972
October 1969 saw Holden whip the covers off a new, second-generation Torana, and this one was way more in-line with what we’ve come to identify the legendary model as.
While a good slice of the LC Torana still carried HB DNA there were new six-cylinder models built on a longer wheelbase, featuring sharper styling, and powered by Holden’s 138ci and 161ci Red sixes. Sold in two-door and four-door bodies the base S and mid-spec SL models were joined by a new, performance variant called the GTR.
Things got properly spicy in 1970 with the addition of the race-ready GTR XU-1 model, which saw huge success in racing and became one of Australia’s most beloved muscle cars of the era. The 186ci six scored hotter engine internals and triple carburettors to make almost three-times the power of the original HB Torana, and the featherweight flier took plenty of race wins against the 351ci V8 GT-HO Falcons.
Across its three-year run more than 74,600 LC Toranas were built.
LJ Torana – When you’re hot, you’re hot
- Years manufactured : 1972 to 1974
February of 1972 saw the LC updated to form the LJ model, boasting similar styling to the then-new HQ Kingswood.
Available in a mix of four- and six-pot engines, in two-door or four-door bodies, the new Torana model was beloved by everyone from suburban families to rally and touring car racers of the day.
The hot shot XU-1 model returned but boasted nearly 200hp from an enlarged 3.3-litre engine, and it was enough to give Peter Brock his first Bathurst win in 1972 against Ford’s ferocious Phase III GT-HO.
More than 81,000 LJs were sold and, alongside selling half-a-million of the larger HQ Kingswood sibling, it proved the early ‘70s were a purple patch for GM-H.
Awesome Four-some
While the straight-six and V8 Toranas are best-known amongst enthusiasts, Holden sold four-cylinder Toranas through the model’s history. The four-cylinder LCs and LJs actually use a shorter wheelbase and a shorter nose featuring Vauxhall styling compared to the more well-known six-cylinder model. The Sunbird name was only used on four-cylinder cars in LX and UC models.
Mr Worldwide
As a global wing of General Motors, Holden sold their cars around the world at different times. The Torana was sold in several markets, including New Zealand and Indonesia, and was marketed in South Korea as both the Chevrolet 1700 and Saehan Camira. Ironically, it was a car called ‘Camira’ which replaced the Torana in 1980.
TA Torana – All the small things
- Years manufactured : 1974
This Torana confuses almost as many people as the short-nose four-cylinder LC and LJ, as the TA was a short-lived four-cylinder Torana model introduced during the crossover between LJ and LH, and to offer a small economy car before the Gemini landed in 1975.
Built on the four-cylinder platform the TA was only sold for a scant 11-month run but just over 11,300 were shifted in both two-door and four-door sedan variants in that time. Engine choices were small, between a 1.3-litre and 1.8-litre pushrod four-cylinder jiggers.
Some wonder why Holden chose to name this model the TA when the other Torana models typically ran L-series prefixes; the Gemini was the first model of parent company General Motors’ global “T-car” platform.
LH Torana – Bigger, faster, & louder
- Years manufactured : 1974 to 1976
The third-generation Torana hit showrooms in March 1974, boasting an all-new, larger platform and updated styling.
Now only offered in a four-door sedan the range included a 1.9-litre four-cylinder, 2.85-litre and 3.3-litre sixes, plus 4.2-litre and 5.0-litre V8 engines, which was a unique situation in GM. Holden introduced several new models, including the limited-edition G-Pak and Plus-4 special editions, while the GTR and XU-1 models were ditched for the now-legendary SL/R tag.
Available with the 3.3L six, 4.2 or 5.0 V8s and in a range of eye-busting bright colours like Barbados Green, the SL/R 5000 has gone on to become one of the most iconic cars of the ‘70s.
Just 263 L34-pack SL/R 5000s were sold for homologation purposes, with the flared, spoiler-equipped brute taking Bathurst wins in ’75 and ’76. Just over 70,000 LH Toranas were sold before it was superseded.
LX Torana – Speed metal
- Years manufactured : 1976 to 1979
February 1976 saw the launch of the LX Torana, a minor facelift of the LH platform with the biggest visual change round headlights instead of the LH’s rectangular units.
The drivetrains remained the same but four-cylinder models can be quickly identified by their unique grille. A new three-door hatch was offered with six-cylinder and V8 engines, with the SS the top-spec model for the hatch and the SL/R 5000 remaining the top dog for sedans.
Radial Tuned Suspension (RTS) greatly improved handling, while the now-legendary A9X replaced the L34. With disc brakes, the big L34 wheel arch flares and a new reverse-cowl scoop, 305 A9X sedans and 100 A9X hatches were made compared to 70,000 LX Toranas.
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UC Torana – Don’t dream its over
- Years manufactured : 1979 to 1980
March 1978 saw the launch of the final Torana model; the UC. Still heavily based on the LH and LX sedan and hatch it featured a heavily redesigned nose and tail with controversial large tail lights and large square headlights.
The V8 and SL/R models were dropped though the four-cylinder Sunbird and six-cylinder Torana models continued, while the interior was heavily updated to bring it up to scratch with the competition. A centre-mount handbrake, combination stalk controlling lights and wipers, more rounded dash design, improved instrumentation, laminated windscreen and rear-screen demister were some of the suite of upgrades the UC enjoyed.
Over 55,000 UC Toranas and Sunbirds were built before the similarly-sized VB Commodore killed the Torana nameplate for good by 1980.
Torana's today
- Total years manufactured : 13 years
Toranas enjoyed a strong following among car enthusiasts since the model disappeared from showrooms nearly half a century ago.
Today, original GTR XU-1, L34 and A9X models are some of the most highly sought-after (and valuable) collectable cars in Australia. Their small size and ease of upgrades mean just as many enthusiasts choose to modify their Toranas compared to those who restore them to factory specs.
Some of the fastest street registered cars in Australia are Toranas, capable of running 7-second quarter-mile times!
Video: 1976 Holden Torana
- 400ci Chevy Small Block
- Built Auto Gearbox
- 9 Inch Diff
- Weld Pro Star Wheels
- Mickey Thompson Drag Radials
- Autometer Gauges
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